She Stands by His Son
by Eldonyx
Summary: She told him she doesn't speak about her feelings. Not with words. But her actions define them clearly, and Black Manta approves.
1. Chapter 1

_She Stands by His Son_

_She told him she doesn't speak about her feelings. Not with words. But her actions define them clearly, and Black Manta approves._

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I watched episode 215: The Fix yesterday, noticed how nice Black Manta was with Tigress, read between the lines, and woke up with this running around in my head this morning.

Of course, I don't own anything but my imagination and grammar mistakes.

Enjoy & review!

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**She Stands by His Son**

She stands by his son, watching over him – has been doing just that for several hours now. She is silent, stone still, and completely expressionless, but he is no fool.

He knows why she is the one standing guard there instead of anybody else, why she hasn't let somebody else take over her duty so she could rest.

Of all the people onboard his ship, she is probably the one he feels the closest to right now. She has the same fears, the same doubts, the same hope, and probably very similar regrets, all centered on his son.

His son, who is lying catatonic on that hospital bed, who has been ever since the Martian witch invaded his mind and ripped it apart. He will kill her for that, _painfully_.

He may not be a very family-oriented man, but _no one touches his son_.

His son, who until a few months ago had been all but lost to him. His son, who has come back to stand by his side at last. It was an unexpected, marvellous surprise, one he had never dared to hope for – and now he is losing him again.

_But there is hope_, he reminds himself forcefully. Before he kills her, the Martian _will_ restore his son's mind.

He has, after all, a very good reason to come back.

They have been silent about their feelings, never letting them surface, but he has seen the signs. The way they are constantly checking on each other. The brief looks that hold entire conversations. The way they fight as one, how they work in perfect harmony.

He isn't sure they have realised it yet – he's not even completely sure what he is seeing isn't just a particularly strong bond of friendship. But he knows it could become so much more, if they get the chance – and he is determined to give them that chance.

Because he likes her, really. She is intelligent, patient, loyal, a strong fighter, fiercely protective of those she care for… She would make a good daughter-in-law. A perfect wife for his son, and most likely a good mother, too.

A flash that isn't the future but that might one day be, and he sees himself standing on a sunny beach, hair completely grey now, watching them playing in the waves. There are two children, a boy and a girl, and they both have his son's near-white hair and dark skin. The girl faces him briefly, and he sees she has her mother's facial structure and eyes – he'd have beautiful grandchildren.

Regretfully, he shakes himself out of the daydream. Dreaming up perfect futures might be good for the heart and soul, especially these days, but it is hardly productive at all, and he's still got a lot of work today.

A last look at the monitor, and he goes back to his papers. She hasn't moved, as expected, and she probably won't move until somebody brings her dinner.

She told him she doesn't speak about her feelings. That's good, because he doesn't either – and he hopes that means she will have gotten the message, because he's certainly never going to say it aloud.

_I approve of your relationship with my son. You may not be ready to go further yet, but when you do, it will be with my support._

_I wouldn't mind you being part of the family._

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Please note that I don't think there is any romance between Artemis and Kaldur. It's just that from where he stands, Black Manta would have very good reasons to think there is something going on between Tigress and his son, and that that something is (serious) romantic feelings. He obviously likes Tigress, and apparently loves his son without reserve now that they aren't on opposite sides – and he _knows_ Kaldur cares about Tigress.

So he arranges for them to be together, hoping it might push them to eventually _get_ together once Kaldur is healed – hoping, above everything else, for his son to have a chance to be there to live that love he thinks he can see forming. And if he starts dreaming about a happy family and grandchildren… Well, even a bad guy has a right to want a happy ending once in a while, doesn't he?


	2. Chapter 2

I know this was supposed to be a one-shot, but I got new ideas while watching the last five episodes of season 2.

This is set in episode 219: _Summit_.

Enjoy & review!

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**She Stands by His Son**

He watches in surprise like the others as Ra's al Ghul rips Tigress's pendant off her neck. He gapes like the others as her skin darkens and her hair turns blond, and her expression changes to one of horror.

He recognises Artemis long before Savage finds his tongue and utters her name.

His son shifts, preparing to intervene, and suddenly he _knows_.

They faked her death. Together. Probably so they could _stay_ together and avoid the complications of being on different sides. He honestly hadn't thought the relationship between Kaldur'ahm and _Tigress_ could be so strong yet – they couldn't have known each other for that long – but _Artemis_ was (_is_) an old friend and teammate. Their synchronism makes more sense now, and so does the deep level of trust they show for each other.

Ra's says something about Zatanna or Doctor Fate, and he supposes they must have fooled one of those two into making the pendant.

Then that Reach snake accuses them of being traitors, Kaldur'ahm stays silent (they will have to have a talk about how one should respond to accusations like that, because not saying anything is usually _not_ a good idea), and he knows he has to intervene. The truth is he doesn't care if it is Artemis or Tigress standing there; the girl has proven herself numerous times before, by caring for his son and watching his back, and even by choosing him over her own family, although he didn't know about that part before now.

Deception about her true identity or not, she has chosen her side. Her loyalty is to his son and he will honor that. Protect them, even if it means antagonizing the Reach or even some of his other "colleagues".

"No! You will not kill my son – " Or _Artemis_, the end of his sentence, is never voiced. One comment, two gunshots, and Deathstroke lives up to his name.

In slow motion, his son falls, red on his armor, and he catches him before he hits the ground. Tigress-Artemis lays on the rocky ground some distance away, a broken doll with glassy eyes where a proud warrior should still stand tall, and he knows he has lost this fight before it could even begin.

Lost his son, for good this time even if he is still breathing, because Deathstroke never misses. Because his future was dead before she hit the ground, and he will be following her soon.

"Kaldur!" _Hang on, my son. Hang on!_ A futile prayer, considering who was behind the shot.

"It is too late, father." Yes, he knows it is. But - "I have already… won." _Wait… What?_

Then Kaldur'ahm goes limp, the arm he was holding against the wound falling to the side, and Black Manta loses his son.

He misses most of what the hologram says, but he still hears enough.

Too much. This is not what he wants to remember of the boy lying dead in his arms – it doesn't matter anymore anyway, although he can feel his heart break at the news that they never truly stood together. He prefers to remember that his son fought for the cause he believed in until the very end, even though that cause wasn't his own – that he accomplished great things, even if against him.

That despite their opposing ideals, he can be proud of who his son was.

Then his boy opens his eyes and gets back up, soon followed by Artemis, and his already fissured world – his _illusion_ – shatters.

"Kaldur… You're – "

"Alive."

The next thing he knows, they're preparing for a fight. He's not entirely sure what he tells his son, but it can't be good – that hard and unforgiving façade one has to put on in this business is something he falls back on by reflex by now, and he sure as hell isn't clear-headed enough right now to think about doing anything else.

They fight, and each word out of Kaldur's mouth makes more damage than anything he could ever dish out physically.

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He wakes up in Belle Reve an unknown amount of time later. He won't cry – doesn't remember how – and he won't seek revenge – doesn't want to. Not against his son.

Kaldur'ahm has won. His plans, not to mention his organisation, are most likely all in tatters by now and it might be years before he can rebuild. Does he even want to start anew? Does he still have the energy for such a big project at his age?

Truth to be told, he doesn't know. Doesn't know where he stands or what he should feel towards his son. Isn't even sure of who he is anymore.

Black Manta, member of the Light and opponent to the Justice League and its allies, among them his own son? The frustrated, faceless civilian whose name he left behind so long ago it takes an effort to remember it? A mix of both? Or has he become somebody else entirely, this aging man who only months ago dreamed of grandchildren and a happy, peaceful future, who took the precious treasure of his son's loyalty for granted and failed to see he was being duped just because he wanted so badly for it all to be true?

Was he truly the reason for his son's betrayal, as Kaldur'ahm himself claimed? Did he do something wrong?

One day, he gets told he has visitors.

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She stands by his son, silent, stone still and completely expressionless, a mix of Artemis's golden hair and Tigress's costume. Unwavering support. Unbreakable loyalty.

The bars still separate them. They aren't on the same side and might never be again, but suddenly it doesn't matter anymore.

He remembers the little girl of his daydream months ago, and realises that pale hair he saw could very well be her mother's.

He won't say that sort of thing – _cannot_ say that sort of thing – and yet the truth remains.

_I still approve of your relationship with my son. I don't know what it is exactly – I have been wrong on so many other things before – but what I _do_ know is what it could become. We may not share the same ideals, but I trust you with my son's safety and life just as I would with his happiness should you take that path._

_And I have to admit that even now, I wouldn't mind you being part of the family._

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Poor Black Manta. Am I the only one who found the way Kaldur dealt with him in _Summit_ especially cruel? First breaking his heart by "dying" on him, then re-breaking it by revealing he was a traitor all along, and _then_ telling him it was all his fault? Seriously, was he _trying_ to hurt him as much as possible? Because if he was, I've got to say he did a great job.

If the series continues, canon will probably prove the end of this story wrong with Black Manta seeking revenge on Aqualad and/or Artemis, and considering what he did, I won't blame him.

Don't get me wrong; Kaldur is one of my favorite characters, but the way he acted towards his father in that episode isn't something I can see as anything other than a big and cruel mistake – a form of torture, even. If the roles were reversed and Kaldur was a bad guy instead of Black Manta, we'd all _hate_ him for that – and I honestly can't think that his being a "good guy" makes it alright in any way.


End file.
